The Star of the North
by thewulf-aloha4ever
Summary: Captain Hook aka Killian Jones has chosen to stay in Storybrooke because of Emma, despite finding it a disorienting place. How does an ex-pirate captain find his sea-legs in unfamiliar waters? Set immediately after the end of Season 3 of OUAT. The story features some information gleaned from behind the scenes pictures and spoilers.
1. Part 1

Storybrooke was a disorienting place.

Killian Jones was reminded of that yet again, as he asked for coffee to go along with his moderate breakfast of eggs and toasted bread.

"Whole milk, 2%, or skim, for your coffee?" asked Granny Lucas.

"Cow milk preferably, or if that's not available, freshly drawn goat's milk," said Killian, with a blank expression on his face.

"You think I have time for your sass?" The matron placed one hand on her hip and pushed her spectacles back up her nose.

Clearly that was meant to be a rhetorical question, so Killian did not bother to answer. He grinned. "Whatever the lady wishes."

Rolling her eyes, Granny warned, "Don't complain later."

"I wouldn't dare," he replied, with another wide smile.

In truth, Killian Jones had answered jestingly because had still not figured out in what respect the different varieties of milk people added to coffee varied (_2 percent of what?_). He generally tried to catch Ruby's attention when giving orders at Granny's Diner. The young werewolf remembered that Captain Hook had not received a download of cursed memories to help him navigate the modern world, and was careful not to throw meaningless words at him without explanation. Granny, however, never did.

Whenever Killian travelled to a new realm, one of the first things he did was study the stars of the unfamiliar sky, and get acquainted with ones useful for navigation. It helped him get oriented, and would guide him back if he went off-course in unfamiliar waters. He had done the same when he had originally arrived in Storybrooke. He had mapped out prominent celestial objects. The North Star had caught his attention in particular. Every now and then, he looked up at the night sky, and the sight of the unmoving star gave him some measure of peace. However, becoming familiar with the stars over Storybrooke was of little help when trying to navigate day to day life.

The coffee arrived, and Killian ate his breakfast while reading The Daily Mirror. He'd taken to perusing the local rag as a way to try and make some sense of the town. The front page announced the marriage of Mr. Gold to Belle French in huge lettering. Killian could not help an involuntary shudder, and turned the page quickly. He may have given up on his revenge, but certain reactions were instinctual.

As he was finishing his coffee, Killian caught a glimpse of Emma's blonde hair through the window. He craned his neck to see her walking past the diner with her parents and their newborn in tow. Immediately getting up from the table, he walked out and drew Emma apart for a talk.

"How are you this morning, Swan?" A smile, not yet in full-bloom, tugged at his lips.

"I'm fine! And how are you this morning, Hook?" Emma looked at him shyly.

"Still devilishly handsome, as you can see."

Her eyes brightened with hilarity, and she teased, "And still humble as always, _I_ can see…"

"Aye!" he grinned. "And what are you doing today?"

"I am spending the morning with my parents and my baby brother."

"And after that?"

"I hadn't really thought that far ahead." She did not ask him why he was prying. They both knew.

Killian scratched behind his ear with his hook. "Want to get lunch at an establishment that's… _not_ Granny's Diner?"

Emma giggled at that. He knew he must look idiotic, but he did feel like a young lad asking a girl to join him in some clandestine activity.

"Yeah. _Not_ Granny's Diner sounds good," she replied a little breathlessly. Killian felt slightly relieved. He had been half-afraid that Emma would regret the previous night's vulnerable moment, when she had reached out for him and kissed him. He had spent a sleepless night spent tossing and turning on his lumpy bed while his mind kept replaying that lovely kiss beneath the stars. Their kiss in Neverland, which seemed a life time ago now, had been raw, passionate, and incredible (it had also been the moment he had realized that he had fallen in love with Emma). Their kiss last night had been filled with passion certainly, but it had also been tender and full of promise.

He yearned to kiss her again.

"What about Henry? Do you think the lad would like to join us?"

Emma gave him a warm smile that went right to his heart. "He's spending the day with Regina. I thought that might help, you know, after the fiasco last night with Marian..."

Freshly arrived from the past, Robin's wife had discovered that her husband was seeing the Evil Queen—the woman who had been about to execute her back in the Enchanted Forest. She had not taken the news well, and there'd been a tense scene outside Granny's Diner that left everyone feeling uncomfortable. Killian had stopped Emma from rushing into the milieu (_It is not your responsibility to make peace everywhere, Swan_). Marian had left with Roland, and Regina had walked away alone. Robin had followed after his wife and child.

"That should keep Regina from doing anything rash, at least for now," agreed Killian.

Emma looked distressed. "You were right, you know—I should have left Marian in Regina's prison. But I couldn't just leave someone to die, when I had the power to save them."

"That's true. You usually leave a blood-thirsty giant to guard them," he teased.

"You're seriously going to bring that up?" Emma's eyes opened wide in challenge. "First of all, Anton is not blood-thirsty."

"Beg to differ. And so would your father, I daresay…"

Emma rolled her eyes. "And don't forget you left me and my mom in an inescapable magical prison in retaliation."

"What an _arse_ I was… Good thing you _did_ manage to escape from that _inescapable_ prison," he smirked.

"_Arse_ is not the word I would have used." Emma gave him a pointed look.

"Doesn't my surviving on Granny's lunches and dinners make up for it, Swan?" he cajoled.

"Well, you did come back to rescue me from Regina's prison. So, I suppose I can overlook your original offense," she said in a mock-serious voice and smiled.

"Even if you didn't really need my dashing rescue, after all…"

Emma's smile faltered. They had circled back to the reason for Marian's current presence in Storybrooke.

Killian raised his hook and tucked a loose strand of Emma's hair behind her ear. He said gently, "You did what you do best, Swan—you saved a life. And you reunited a mother and son." Emma's face lightened.

"Yes… I am glad about that," she confessed. Killian smiled at her softly.

Emma took an involuntary step closer to him, and tucked both her hands into her back-pockets. An inviting stance if ever there was one. Captain Hook was not loath to take it. He placed his hand on her unresisting waist and drew her close. She leaned forward, glancing at his lips.

He bent his head to hers, and was a hair's breath away from kissing her, when they were interrupted by someone shouting, "Crazy ice queen! Crazy ice queen on the loose!"

Killian and Emma broke apart as they turned to look at the source of the interruption. The damned dwarf Grumpy or Leroy—whatever his name was—ran towards them, wheezing, and stopped when he had reached the curb. He bent down to catch his breath.

Killian sent him a dirty look, which went unheeded.

The dwarf started explaining the predicament. "Me and the boys we were walking down the city center, when this young woman comes up to us and asks for Rumplestiltskin. She was waving around a newspaper with a photo announcing the wedding of Mr. Gold and Belle."

"Wait, Mr. Gold and Belle are getting married?" interjected Emma.

"You are way behind the times, sister! They got married last night. Archie officiated the wedding," announced Grumpy.

"Well…" said Emma, a little taken aback, and glanced at Hook. "Good for them, I guess…"

"Who was this woman?" Hook asked.

"Well… she was wearing Enchanted Forest clothes, and had a tiara on her head. But none of us have ever seen her before." Grumpy added, "She asked us a lot of questions about her sister, and a place called Andennele or something. We didn't have a clue what she was on about! She got very angry, and conjured up a snowstorm right out of the blue. Main Street was covered with several inches of snow when I left."

"Where is she now?" enquired Emma.

"She's making her way to Gold's Shop right now. Sneezy told her when she threatened to bury him under six feet of snow."

Hook sniggered. Emma shot him a reproachful look.

"We'll check it out," said Emma. "Go ahead and spread the word, Leroy—tell Rufus to make an emergency broadcast instructing people to stay away from the main town area. Don't say anything about the ice queen. Just say it's some downed live wires—we don't want to start a panic."

"I'm on it, sister." Grumpy took off.

Emma was right, thought Killian wryly—there always was _some_ looming crisis in Storybrooke.

"There go my plans for a quiet day," sighed Emma. "You want to come along?"

"Of course."

David and Mary Margaret came up to them, pushing the baby on the stroller. They greeted Killian.

"What's going on, Emma? We saw Leroy tearing down the street," said Mary Margaret.

"There's some kind of witch freezing down the town center, apparently."

"Zelena's back?" Mary Margaret instinctively tugged the stroller closer.

"According to the dwarf, it's someone new," said Killian.

"It's only been ten hours since the last crisis!" groused Emma. Mary Margaret shook her head in commiseration.

A sudden blast of cold air had them all shivering for a moment. Mary Margaret anxiously checked to make sure baby Neal was well covered.

"Killian and I are going over to see what's happening," said Emma.

"I'll come with you both," offered David.

"I have my magic back. It should be okay. You guys should take the little squirt home. If the weather gets worse, it could be bad for him." Emma bent down and gently caressed her baby brother's cheeks. He gurgled in response. Mary Margaret gave an adoring look at the sweet sibling moment, and Emma fondly rolled her eyes at her mother.

"In that case, you and Killian take my truck," instructed David. "If the town center is frozen, it's going to be harder if you're walking, and I'm not sure your car can handle freaky weather. Call me as soon as you find anything, and I'll come over once your mother and Neal are safe home."

"Be careful!" admonished Mary Margaret as they walked away.

Emma and Hook took David's truck and set off toward the town center; the temperature had dropped quite a bit, and heavy snow was falling from the sky as they got closer. Emma turned on the windscreen wiper, and Killian watched it go back and forth across the glass as it cleared the view. Emma turned on the radio. An announcer's voice warned people to stay away from the main town area because of downed power lines.

"Oh, good! He got that done fast," said Emma. She the dialed the number of Mr. Gold's shop and Belle's cell phone in turn, but merely got messages announcing that Mr. and Mrs. Gold were currently on vacation, and that they could not be reached at the moment.

They found the culprit as she was in the act of freezing the locks of Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop, clearly preparatory to breaking it open. Emma stopped the truck by the curb, and they got down. Killian came around to the other side of the truck. As Emma slammed the car door shut, she slipped on the icy pavement and started to fall backward. Hook quickly moved forward and caught her in time, her back slamming against his chest in the process.

He whispered in her ear, "Careful there, Swan! It's a good thing I was here to catch you this time."

Emma gave him a look indicating _now was not the time_. As she stepped away, the _ice queen_, as she had been dubbed by the dwarf, turned toward them.

She was a young woman, about 30 years of age, blonde, and wearing a flowing blue gown. She did indeed have a tiara on her head. The woman lifted her hand in a gesture of attack, when Emma held up both her hands. "Wait! We're just here to talk."

"Who are you?" The woman glanced at them.

"My name is Emma, and this is Killian," said Emma. "We just want to know what you want."

She waved a newspaper at them. It was _The Daily_ _Mirror_ announcing Gold and Belle's wedding.

"I need to find this man—Rumplestiltskin. He looks different in this portrait, but I recognized him," she grit out.

"Why are you looking for Rumplestiltskin?" Killian interjected.

"He kidnapped me from my kingdom and trapped me in a magical urn. I need to find out what happened to my sister. After that, I'm going to make him pay for what he did!"

"And who are you, lass?"

"I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle," she announced regally. Killian's eyebrows shot up.

"Rumplestiltskin was under the control of the Wicked Witch over the last year." said Emma.

"Who is the Wicked Witch?"

"Did you come over with the Dark Curse?"

"Dark Curse?" Elsa looked confused.

Killian let out a sharp breath. A glimmering of an idea occurred to him. He asked Elsa, "Where did you come from? How did you get free from the urn?"

"I don't know. The stopper of the urn I was trapped in had worked loose. I got out, and I found myself at a barn." Killian and Emma exchanged looks. "I walked until I came to this town."

"What kind of barn was it? Was there anything… special about it?" Killian was trying to clarify whether his little idea was correct.

"It had some strange circular patterns etched on its floor. Do they hold magical power? Is that why I was set free?" asked Elsa.

"Son of a …!" exclaimed Emma in dismay. Elsa looked at her, puzzled. Hook remembered the ornate urn he had taken out of a cupboard at the Dark One's vault back in the Enchanted Forest. They'd been looking for ways to re-activate Zelena's time-portal and return to Storybrooke. Elsa must have been trapped within that urn, which got pulled through the time-vortex into Storybrooke along with them.

"Can you help me find him or not?" Elsa seemed to be running out of patience.

"Look. Why don't we go somewhere quiet and talk? I know you want to find Gold… I mean Rumplestiltskin. He got married last night, and we don't know where he is, but he hasn't left town," said Emma. "But there are certain things you need to know. Could you just… stop freezing the town?"

Elsa agreed reluctantly. She looked wary when Emma opened the door to the truck and asked her to get inside.

"It is safe, I promise," Killian assured her. Still looking skeptical, Elsa got in, and Killian shut the door on her. Emma and Killian got into the truck as well.

Emma called David on the phone. "_We found her…Can you meet us at Granny's?... how are they doing?... no, it's okay… for now… alright… see you soon_."

"We're the reason she's in Storybrooke. Just like Marian." Emma turned her head slightly toward Killian.

The significance of the statement did not escape Killian. Now, both the Evil Queen and the Dark One would have a grievance against Hook and Emma for bringing someone back from the past with a vendetta against them.

Personally, Hook could care less if they all went and boiled their heads.

They took Elsa to the diner, and sat her down in a booth with a cup of coffee. At that point, David joined them. Mary Margaret was safe at home with the baby, and protected from the unnatural cold weather. To start with, they explained to Elsa a little about the time-portal that had transported Emma and Hook back to the Enchanted Forest of thirty years ago.

"The Portal was activated in the barn where you found yourself last night. It seems very likely that you were brought forward in time with us when we returned to Storybrooke," said Emma.

"Time-travel? How is it possible? The Dark One trapped me mere days ago." Elsa looked bewildered.

"We don't know how long you've been in the urn before you came through the portal," said Emma.

"But how did you know I was in the urn? Did my sister send you to rescue me?"

"Emma and I were trapped in the Dark One's vault for a brief period of time," Killian elaborated. "We were looking for ways of escape—I remember taking an urn out from a wardrobe. We didn't know what it held."

"We can only assume that that urn was your prison. It must have been pulled through the portal when it opened," added Emma.

"If that's true, then I have been gone from Arendelle for a very long time. I wonder if my sister and Kristoff got married, and are now ruling the kingdom. Why, Anna must be 50 years of age!" exclaimed Elsa with dismay.

"I am sorry," commiserated Emma. "This can't be easy for you."

"Is this land far from Arendelle? I have to get back home, to my kingdom," Elsa declared.

Hook, David and Emma exchanged looks.

"Um…" began Emma, hesitating.

"What?"

"We are in a different realm, love," said Hook. "You're going to need a portal to get to Arendelle."

"Where can I find one?" asked Elsa. When no one answered immediately, Elsa started to panic. Tendrils of cold air swirled around her. They all shivered from the sudden drop in temperature.

"Portals are not easy to come by in this land," said David. "It may be hard to find a way to get you back to your kingdom. But we promise you, we will do our best to find one, and get you back to your family."

David's reassuring tone seemed to comfort the queen a little. "_Prince Charming, indeed"_, thought Killian and suppressed a smile. When Killian turned around, he caught Emma looking at him, a smile tugging at her lips. Killian winked at her conspiratorially.

"Okay. I'll go talk to Regina, and see if she has any ideas. Dad, maybe you should talk to Blue and Tink. Gold won't like it if we disturbed him today," stated Emma.

Killian looked up, mildly surprised. He had never known Emma to call her father by that term. David looked fit to burst with happiness. Killian distinctly remembered what Emma had said when they had been trapped inside Rumplestiltskin's vault. She had confessed that she wanted to stop pushing her parents away—that she wanted to stop running, as had been her habit for years. After all the abandonment and betrayal Emma had experienced, Killian knew that it had taken courage to make that decision. He was happy to see her keeping to it. The previous night had given him some measure of hope that she would stop pushing him away as well.

"Is he your father?" Elsa looked puzzled. "You appear to be the same age. I thought you said we had travelled forward in time?"

"Long story. Killian will explain it all to you." Emma turned to him. "Won't you, Killian?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute, Swan?" Killian requested.

"What is it?" asked Emma, once they had stepped outside the diner.

"Why don't I come with you, and let's leave the baby-sitting to your father. He probably needs the practice, anyway," he snarked.

"_Because_," said Emma, "He'll have to go home and check on my mom at some point. We don't want the ice queen accidentally freezing my baby brother, do we? And, _someone_ needs to make sure Elsa doesn't go on a frozen rampage again trying to find Gold."

"And I get the job?"

"_Yes_! I'll go and talk to Regina, and my dad can look into the damage the ice has caused. We have to split up the work."

"Why don't we take her along with us?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Emma demurred. "Who knows how Regina will react, especially when she finds out we brought someone else back with us from the future."

"Are you sure you want to go talk to Regina by yourself, love?"

"I'm not looking forward to it, but I can't avoid her forever. I might as well get it over with,"

Suppressing a sigh, Killian agreed to stay with Elsa, while Emma and Dave ran around trying to find portals and dealt with ice-related emergencies around town. Some things never changed, it seemed.


	2. Part 2

Elsa looked around the diner curiously. "This land is so strange. Everything looks so different. I've never seen magical lamps like those ones," she looked wonderingly at the bright fluorescent lights on the ceiling.

"Those are not magical. Magical devices are not common in Storybrooke." Here was someone who knew even less about the modern world than he did, Killian thought amusedly.

"But this land has magic—otherwise my powers would not work, would they?"

"Yes, but people get by very well with non-magical contrivances in this land. This world does not have innate magic. It was brought into this town recently," replied Hook.

"How do those lights work then?"

"They are powered by something called electricity."

"And what is that?"

"You know, lass, I'm not really sure," admitted Killian. "All I know is I'm not supposed to stick my hook into one of those holes in the wall." He waved his hook up and down, and made a grimace.

Elsa looked at the hook, and for the first time, seemed to register it. She looked over Killian's clothing and said, "People here seem to be dressed strangely as well. And yet you're wearing clothes I have seen back in my land. Are you not from this realm?"

"Almost everyone in Storybrooke was brought over from the Enchanted Forest into this realm by one of two Dark Curses. During the First Curse, people were frozen in time for 28 years," explained Killian. "I myself was frozen in a protected dome back in the Enchanted Forest along with some other people. I came over to this land after the Curse was broken."

"People were frozen in time for 28 years?" asked Elsa, slowly processing all the information he had given her, her voice tinged with rising excitement. "Is that why Emma and her father look the same age?"

"Aye."

"I wonder whether my sister was frozen as well," said Elsa. "She may even be here in this realm—brought along with these Curses!"

"I doubt Arendelle was affected by either of the Dark Curses, love. It's nowhere near the Enchanted Forest. Regina's Curse did not touch such distant lands."

"You have been to Arendelle?"

"A long time ago." Hook had indeed been to Arendelle before, but that was a few hundred years ago, and he did not want to confuse Elsa further by telling her about Neverland.

"If Anna knew that I had been taken to the Enchanted Forest, she would have followed me there, and perhaps been transported along with the Curse to this realms," said Elsa.

"Do you really think that's likely?" Killian was doubtful.

"I think my sister would move heaven and earth to find me. She did it once before."

"You were kidnapped before?" Hook suddenly wondered if Elsa really was a queen, or whether she had merely stumbled into the barn, and was spinning tales of being repeatedly kidnapped for some unknown purpose. Zelena had trapped him posing as Ariel. Hook decided to keep a careful watch for any signs this woman had nefarious designs as well.

"No. I ran away from home. I did not know how to control my power. I was afraid of hurting my people, and especially my sister."

Killian looked at her in surprise. "What changed?"

"I put my sister's life in danger when I tried to push her away. But she never gave up on me—she risked her life to save mine. And in the process, she saved herself as well." Elsa's eyes sparkled with unshed tears.

"Here you go, love," said Killian gently, and handed her a box of tissues. "Your sister sounds like a very stubborn person."

"She is loyal to a fault," stated Elsa with simple dignity.

Killian answered Elsa's further questions regarding Storybrooke and the Dark Curse, the state of the Enchanted Forest in present day, and if he had heard anything of Arendelle of late. Hook confessed to having no present knowledge of the kingdom of Arendelle.

"How can I find out if my sister is in Storybrooke?".

"The news of your um… rampage will be all over town soon enough. If your sister is in Storybrooke, she might guess that it is you, and come looking for you, wouldn't she?"

"She would. But there are other alternatives to consider as well—you said you were in a protected Realm in the Enchanted Forest for 28 years. She may have been trapped there," suggested Elsa.

Hook asked Elsa to describe her sister and her affianced husband, the memory of Cora's village massacre in his mind.

"They don't remind me of anyone in the village I was staying in," said Hook, after hearing her description, somewhat relieved. He had not been able to stop Cora from killing all those innocent people, but that was the moment he had decided to walk away from her and had stolen the enchanted bracelets in order to climb the beanstalk by himself. That was when he had first met Emma.

Shaking away his reflections, Hook continued, "However, there are several people now in Storybrooke, who were not brought over by the Original Curse. A second Dark Curse brought them. We can make enquiries if any of them have either seen or heard of your sister."

"There are far too many Curses in this tale," said Elsa in exasperation. Killian shrugged.

"What if no one here has any news or knowledge of my sister? How am I to find her without a portal?" asked Elsa.

Killian had no answer for that.

After a lunch of somewhat rubbery lasagna, Elsa turned silent. She sat brooding in a dark corner of the diner, creating miniature ice-sculptures on the surface of the table in front of her. Killian sat sipping from his flask of rum. His thoughts turned dark and inward. At the end of the day, he felt that he was as much of an alien in this land, as this ice queen was.

While Killian knew that having a set of cursed memories was nothing to crave, there were times when he felt a keen discomfort in the culture and nature of Storybrooke, as though it were a weight on his shoulders he wished to shrug off. The Jolly Roger used to anchor him before. The wood and the waves soothed his discomforts, and revived his spirits—even when he was in Storybrooke.

That was why he had so desperately sought the Jolly Roger in that Lost Year without Emma. He had callously and ruthlessly cut down Blackbeard in order to regain possession of his Ship. Heart-broken and all hope crushed from his spirit, he had ranted against love to that poor mermaid Ariel, and refused to help her. Only in the subsequent months had he realized that it had all been in vain. Neither the feel of the planks under his feet nor the motion of the waves of the sea had lessened his love for Emma, or dulled his heart-ache at the loss. Emma had both blessed him and cursed him with that "Good!" spoken at the edge of the town line, on the cusp of a parting.

He had given everything up for her. And he counted all his loss as worthy of little regret. He had given it all up just for a chance to see her, and perhaps to save her from her cursed life and reunite her with her family. Even when he thought he had no hope of winning her heart, even when she had pushed him away with the most vicious of jibes, he had held on, wanting only her happiness. And now, she had started to open her heart to him. It felt like an incredible gift. A sweet miracle. He wanted to cherish her and make her happy. But he also felt insecure and a little afraid. That he would not fit in. That he would fall short. That she would push him away. After all, he was no hero. He was no prince like David. He had lived a pirate's life for hundreds of years. And now, he was not even that.

David stopped by the diner late afternoon.

"Emma told me she'd talked to Regina, but I don't think she got anything from her. Blue's looking into portals. Apparently, more of her magical items came into Storybrooke with the second curse, so she's hoping to find something useful," said David.

Emma called David on his cell phone at that point, and he held a short conversation with her. Killian wished to speak to Emma as well, but was reluctant to ask her father to hand him his portable telephone.

"Emma says the dwarfs have cleared up most of the snow. Right now, they're repairing the damage. She's going back to talk to Blue," explained David after he had ended the phone call. "How's _she_ doing?"

"She had a lot of questions, mate! I didn't have many answers for her," answered Killian.

"Well, I'm headed home. I have to relieve Mary Margaret from baby duty." David added after a brief pause, "You and I need to catch up sometime, Killian—maybe get a drink at the Rabbit Hole."

"Aye, that we should," Killian agreed. David went and spoke briefly to Elsa before he left. He tried to reassure the girl once again that they were doing all they could to help her.

David's invitation that they should get a drink at the Rabbi Hole was not unwelcome—they had both come a long way from punching each other in the face—but Hook was not going to presume on the prince's friendship. He remembered how quickly David had gone back to mistrusting him when Zelena's memory curse had broken.

Killian wondered how much David remembered of his fireside conversation with "Prince Charles" back in the Enchanted Forest. He had been quite sincere when he told David that he would go to the end of the world or time for Emma's sake. However, Killian could not fathom whether or not that would make David look upon his fledgling intimacy with his daughter in a favorable light. Given his past history as a revenge-obsessed pirate, Hook well knew that he had to work hard to maintain any trust he earned with Emma's family.

But by sunset, he had had enough of sitting around and brooding. Relegating Elsa to the care of Ruby, Killian took off to look for Emma. As he stepped outside, his eyes automatically sought out the North Star. It was blinking merrily away, as always. Killian walked up to the town center, and he saw that the snow had been cleared up and lay piled on the side-walks. The piles were starting to melt into streaming puddles. Emma stood talking to some of the dwarfs. A giant mechanical contraption evidently used for clearing away the snow stood by the side of the road.

"What are you doing here?" asked Emma upon seeing Hook. "Where's Elsa?"

"She's still at the diner. I left her with Ruby."

"Well… Okay, as long as…"

"Oh no…" interjected Grumpy.

"What now?" Killian turned around. A localized snow-storm was hovering over Gold's Pawn Shop.

They found Elsa inside the shop, rooting through various objects. She turned to them, looking angry and petulant.

"You probably shouldn't do that," said Emma. "There're a lot of dangerous items in this place. By the way, how did you get past his protection spell?"

"His simple spell was no barrier to me."

"Clearly," said Killian, and they both looked at him. He shrugged.

They took Elsa back to the diner in Emma's vehicle. As they were driving to Granny's, Killian could tell that Emma was angry. She was gripping the wheel tightly, and refusing to look at him. However, she did not say anything outright.

Back at the diner, Elsa asked them, "Why are you protecting Rumplestiltskin? I need to know why he trapped me. And I need to find a portal in case my sister is not in this town."

"I doubt Rumplestiltskin has portals lying around in his shop," said Killian. Elsa glared at him.

"We are protecting _you_, _and_ this town," said Emma.

"I doubt Rumplestiltskin is going to be happy when he finds out you were trying to loot his shop," added Killian.

"I do not care what he thinks."

"He trapped you in an urn once. Do you really think you are more powerful than him, love?"

"Belle won't let him do anything stupid." Emma glanced at him. Killian merely gave her a half-skeptical look. She turned to Elsa. "At any rate, if you want to try and get some answers from him, breaking into his shop is not the right way to go about it."

"I need to find out if my sister is in this town."

"We'll advertise in the paper for news of your sister tomorrow. We're still looking for a portal as well," said Emma. "Just… you have to be patient. Okay?"

It took them a little while time longer to convince Elsa not to do anything reckless. And upon Emma's urging, Granny agreed to put Elsa up at the inn.

"Now look here, young lady." Granny turned to look at Elsa. "If you break the building's heating system, I'm confiscating your tiara."

"I'm staying here at Granny's too," Emma told Elsa. "Come and find me if you need anything. Otherwise, we'll come and get you in the morning." _(At least, she was still including him in her plans, even if she was angry_, thought Hook wryly.)

Granny left with Elsa to show her to her room, and get her some basic supplies (the nuns were providing survival kits to those who had arrived by the second Curse, and Granny had been handed a few of those to pass on).

Emma turned to Killian. "So, you couldn't keep an eye on her until I came back? You knew she was hell-bent on finding Gold. Did you really have to pawn her off to someone else?"

"Would it have been so bad if she had found the bloody Crocodile, love? He had it coming," answered Killian, flippantly.

Emma let out a heavy breath in frustration, and strode out of the diner angrily.

Killian sighed and went after her (_one day he would stop chasing after this woman_). She did not stop when he called out her name. He hurried forward and looped his hook around her elbow. She turned around to face him. He pulled back his hook.

"I didn't have any secret intention of letting her loose on the Dark One, Emma. The ice queen seemed calm enough when I left her. I just got tired of sitting around all day. Besides, I missed you." The confession slipped out before he could stop it.

Emma's shoulders sagged.

"I'm exhausted!" she exclaimed. "I wanted to take it easy. Instead, I've been running round all day. And now, I'll have to go back and check what new damage she's caused."

"I'm sorry, love." Killian was contrite. "I didn't mean to cause more trouble."

"Well… we'll just have to deal with it, like everything else." Emma squared her shoulders.

Killian tilted his head, and smiled self-deprecatingly.

"You can come with me if you want to," she added.

He looked at her warily. "Are you sure you don't want me site by Elsa's bed while she's sleeping?"

Emma rolled her eyes, a laugh escaping her lips.

"That I certainly don't!" she exclaimed.

Killian smirked, his cheerfulness restored.

Ruby came out of the diner at that moment, and catching sight of Emma and Killian, walked up to them. "Emma, Killian—I have to apologize. Elsa seemed to be taking a nap. Victor came over, and… I'm afraid I got a little distracted."

"Dr. Whale? Oh…_oh_…"

"He was sent back to his realm when Storybrooke was destroyed, you know. It's been a year, and… Anyways I just wanted to say I was sorry."

"Don't worry about it—it's all good now," said Emma. Ruby smiled gratefully, and left.

Evidently, _he_ hadn't been the only one left pining after a lost love in the missing year, thought Killian ruefully.

Killian and Emma drove around the town. The second ice storm had not been as severe as the morning's. The fresh batch of the snow from the storm had been cleared up. After making some final checks, they decided to call it a night.

They drove up to the motel where Killian was staying. Emma said, "I'm starving! I didn't even have time for lunch."

"There is a dining establishment across the street from where I put up. We could get something to eat."

Emma hesitated for a moment. "Why not? After all, our lunch plans didn't work out."

Killian grinned.

Emma parked her car in front of the motel, and they went across to the tiny eatery and ordered pizza. They sat and talked as they waited for their order to arrive.

"How did your talk with Regina go? Did she offer any help?"

"She said—_you and your pirate made this mess. You clean it up_!" repeated Emma dryly.

"She's still quite angry, then?" Emma nodded her head in a dejected manner.

"Don't let her get you down, love. It's pointless to wallow in guilt over something that's over and done with."

"Yeah, that's true enough."

After they had eaten, Killian insisted on paying for the dinner.

"How do you even have money?" asked Emma. "You didn't…"

"No, Swan. Unlike the merry men, I have not been doing any plundering in Storybrooke. I have some enchanted forest gold with me."

"How long…? I mean…" trailed off Emma, in an embarrassed manner.

"I will soon have to start looking for an honest job in Storybrooke, Swan," said Killian in a half-mocking tone. He felt slightly uncomfortable talking to Emma about his monetary status. He did not even want to _begin_ to think of how he would be able to adapt to working under someone after a couple of centuries as a pirate captain.

"Um… David is going to be a little occupied with the baby for now. I could do with some assistance until he comes back to work full-time..."

"Are you offering me a job, Swan?" Killian sounded surprised.

"Yeah—I am," Emma affirmed. "What do you say?"

"I think I might say yes if there are _other_ perks to job as well." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Shut up…" Emma smiled in spite of herself. Then she added in a more serious tone, "Will you think about it, Killian?"

He nodded.

They then made plans to meet at Granny's for Breakfast.

"Henry will be there too," said Emma. "He's dying to meet Elsa! He says she's not in the Storybook."

Killian smiled.

"Thanks for helping out with Elsa, today," said Emma, as they stopped in front of the motel door.

"It was nothing."

"I missed you too, you know," added Emma in a soft whisper.

They held each other's gaze for a moment, the atmosphere becoming suddenly charged.

Killian cupped Emma's cheek and kissed her with all the love and passion he had been holding at bay all day. The heady feel of her soft lips, her tongue sliding against his in delicious friction, and her soft curves against his chest were driving him wild. He looped his arm around her waist and drew her close, and caressed her silken soft hair with his hand. Emma kissed him back with matching eagerness, pulling her arms around him. Killian sucked her lower lip between his, and bit down gently. She gasped, and pulled even closer, caressing his neck and shoulders. This was bliss. Killian would be happy to stand in the middle of the deserted road, kissing Emma all night long under the stars.

When they finally broke apart, Killian gave a contented sigh and smiled. Emma smiled too, a faint blush on her cheeks. Killian slowly released her and took a step back. As he did so, he promptly slipped on a patch of ice, and pitched forward right back into her arms.

Emma steadied him, and said in cheeky imitation of his remark of the morning, "Careful there, Hook! It's a good thing I was here to catch you this time." She giggled. Killian tightened his arms around her waist and jerked her closer, making Emma gasp in surprise. He bent down and whispered in her ear, "Let me thank you properly for rescuing a pirate, milady!"

He kissed her again.

Back in his hotel room, Killian washed and got ready for bed. There was still a lingering chill in the air. _A man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets_, thought Hook, as he lay on the cot and pulled the blanket up to his shoulders. He certainly was far from thinking that he deserved the love of a woman like Emma's. However, he was not the kind of man to let that thought stop him from trying to win her affections, and strive to be worthy of her trust.

He had been touched by Emma's offer of a position at the sheriff's office. He could almost not help laughing at the thought of the hardened pirate going back to his _Lieutenant Jones_ days. For the first time in a very long time, he was not driven by revenge or hatred, but simply by love. He was no longer navigating a ship at sea, but in a sense, his love for Emma was his guiding Star of the North. By that light, he would navigate the unfamiliar waters of Storybrooke. Getting used to a new kind of life in a strange little town was perhaps a different kind of challenge from all that he had faced before, but it was nothing insurmountable. He was one hell of a captain, after all. Killian closed his eyes and slowly drifted into a restful slumber.

The End.


End file.
